Primary Edition. Autumn Term. 2016

Suffolk School Nurses at The Suffolk Show 2016 Suffolk School nurses had a stand at the Suffolk Show to promote the new CHAT Health texting service for parents and young people. There was a free prize draw and Sophie Kettle who attends Britannia School Ipswich won first prize cinema vouchers - congratulations!! More details on how you can text us on 07507 333356 for health advice can be found on the next page. Picture shown of Bethan Stott – Clinical Team Manager and Grace French – Suffolk Pupil.

Is your child starting school in September? Keep an eye out for the yellow parental forms from school nursing. Please fill these out and return these to your child’s school. The School Nursing Service uses these to assess if there are any additional health needs that we can help support you and your child with. We also use these to inform us of any difficulties prior to completing hearing and vision testing upon school entry. It's important to identify hearing problems as early as possible because they can affect your child's speech and language development, social skills and education During the year the school nursing service will be undertaking the height and weight measurements of your child as part of the national child measurement program, details will follow from your child’s school in due course. For more tips for your child starting school follow link below. http://ihv.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/A-Clean-Healthy-Start-to-School-April-2016.pdf

Sleep - we all need it As your child starts school in September they may become increasingly tired as they learn and develop new skills, therefore it is helpful to keep bedtimes calm and relaxed whilst reducing the amount of digital stimulation before bed to help your child fall in to a natural restful sleep. For top tips follow the link: www.sleepcouncil.org.uk

Contacting Suffolk School Nursing Team This link provides the address and telephone number of your local school nursing service: www.suffolk.gov.uk/schoolnursing Primary Edition. Summer Term. 2016

Back to School Blues? Your child may show a range of emotions on their return to school and this can be an anxious time either because they have started in a new class or because school is completely new. However, there are a few things you can do to help your child as they move back into the routine of school. Ensuring your child gets a good amount of sleep eats a healthy diet and has enough fluid will help them to deal with the challenges of school. Breaking down instructions to bite sized amounts so that they are easily achievable. Taking slow deep breaths can also help to calm the busy feelings your child may be feeling within their body. Listening to their favourite music can increase positivity, helping them feel distracted from their worries. Giving your child the opportunity to talk about worries or their school day can help them feel listened to and supported. Ask them about the funniest part of the day rather than focusing on the good and bad, this may help them talk more openly. If your child is anxious you can reassure them by keeping them informed of their routine and follow the techniques listed in the link provided https://www.anxietybc.com/parenting/how-address-excessive-reassurance-seeking Chat Health – A Virtual School

Nurse Service

Flu Season Flu season is soon upon us, in order to help your child stay protected make sure they wash their hands thoroughly and use tissues to catch their coughs and sneezes. The school immunisation team will be delivering the childhood flu vaccination to all year 1, 2 and 3 primary school children from early October- further information which will be going out from September.

A quick and easy way to make contact with the School Nursing team. This service is available to both parents/carers and secondary school age children and young people. Messages sent to the dedicated number 07507 333356 are delivered to a secure website, and responded to by the School Nursing Team. The service is available Monday to Friday 9am – 4:30pm excluding bank holidays. Out– of–hours, anyone who texts the service receives a ‘bounce–back’ message that explains where to get help if their question is urgent, and when they can expect a response. Texts are replied to within one working day, usual rates apply. Alternatively, you can contact your School Nursing team by following the link below which will provide contact details of your local team

www.suffolk.gov.uk/schoolnursing